A woman was left shocked and upset after discovering the “truth” about her engagement ring, which her fiancé had claimed cost “more than a car”.
Choosing an engagement ring is a daunting task – you have to figure out your partner’s ring size without raising suspicion and then pick a piece of jewellery they’ll wear for the rest of their lives.
It’s a significant, symbolic item that carries great emotional value. One man found himself frustrated when his brother and his new fiancée, Emily, kept “bragging” about the price of the recently purchased engagement ring.
The groom made a big fuss about buying her a “one-of-a-kind, designer ring” that supposedly cost more than his brother’s car. After the proposal, the bride-to-be was delighted to be flaunting such a stunning gem on her finger, but the groom’s brother knew the truth about the ring.
It wasn’t nearly as costly as he’d suggested, and the brother decided to let Emily know. The brother turned to Reddit to ask for opinions on whether his revelation was the wrong move.
He said he was “genuinely happy” for his brother and Emily, particularly because he thinks she is an “amazing woman” who he’s “always” liked. He described her as being “smart, kind, and really down-to-earth”, but at a family dinner last weekend, her “gushing” over her engagement ring “really bugged” him.
According to the brother: “She was gushing about how my brother spent months finding the perfect ring, how much it cost, and how lucky she was to have such a thoughtful fiancé. All good, right? Except… I know the jeweller my brother went to, because it’s the same place I got my ex’s ring years ago.”
The jeweller who created Emily’s ring specialises in “high-quality lab-grown diamonds”. Lab-grown diamonds are crafted in labs, using processes that replicate the conditions under which natural diamonds form. While typically less costly than their mined counterparts, they’re genuinely real diamonds, available in various shapes, sizes, colours, and clarity grades, just like those found in nature.
The brother went on to say: “Now, there’s nothing wrong with lab-grown diamonds—heck, I’d even say they’re better for the environment and look just as good—but my brother’s whole story about this ‘rare, one-of-a-kind ring’ was basically a big lie. It’s worth a fraction of what he claimed, and it definitely wasn’t some exclusive, hand-picked treasure.”
He believed his brother was “manipulating” his fiancée and consequently their entire family into “thinking he’s some kind of romantic hero”. The brother eventually indicated to Emily that he was “familiar with the jeweller” and “hinted that the ring was probably lab-grown, not as rare as she thought”.
When she learned of this, Emily looked visibly upset, and she felt devastated. Later, the man revealed his “brother was fuming” and accused him of “ruining his proposal”. He also criticised him for being “jealous and petty”.
This situation has led to Emily “questioning the whole engagement because she thinks he lied to her”. The man is adamant that his brother did indeed deceive his bride-to-be and insists Emily deserved to know the truth about her engagement ring.
Now, however, his “whole family is mad at him” and his brother has stopped talking to him. He added: “I didn’t mean to upset Emily, but I also feel like it’s not cool to lie about something like that. Shouldn’t she know the truth?”
Reddit users quickly took to the comments section to voice their opinions, with many suggesting the brother harbours romantic feelings for Emily and used the “truth” about the ring as a way to potentially sabotage their engagement. One person simply stated: “you knew exactly what you were doing.”
Another commented: “He wanted to show her how his brother is a liar and present himself as ‘the honest brother’, one that she will seek comfort with.”
While another said: “Not your place at all to disclose anything about the ring. And you said the jeweller specialises in lab- grown. Doesn’t mean every ring is “fake” as you call it.”
One user pointed out: “Lab grown gemstones are every bit as “real” as mined ones, only much more ethical”. Another added: “Just say you’re super envious of your brother, so you decided to bring him and his girl down a notch to make yourself feel better.”